About

Justin E Heinze, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, with an appointment in the Combined Program in Education and Psychology. His research investigates how schools influence disparities in violence and other risk outcomes from an ecological perspective that includes individual, interpersonal, and contextual influences on development. He is particularly interested in the structural features of school context and policy that perpetuate inequity in violence and firearm outcomes, as well as how these institutions can serve as settings for intervention. Dr. Heinze completed his PhD in education psychology from the University of Illinois-Chicago in 2011. He is the Director of the National Center for School Safety, the faculty lead for Public Health IDEAS for Preventing Firearm Injury, and principal investigator of the Healthy Minds Study. His research projects include addressing mental health and school safety, evaluating community overdose response initiatives, and studying vacant lot reuse in Detroit. His areas of expertise include firearm injury prevention, mental health, and substance use.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Computer Science
• Medicine
• Political Science
• Sociology
• Law
• Demography
• Criminology
• Environmental health
• Psychiatry
• Medical emergency
• Developmental psychology
• Anthropology
• Gender studies

Selected publications

• A scoping review of theoretical and conceptual frameworks in U.S. firearm injury research

  Preventive Medicine · 2026-01-08

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Weapon victimization and long-term cardiovascular disease risk

  Social Science & Medicine · 2025-05-21

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evaluating the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation’s Know the Signs Program in Preventing School Violence in the Los Angeles Unified School District

  Journal of School Violence · 2025-11-12 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  reported more positive school climate indicators, including school connectedness and community perceptions, than non-attendees. These findings provide additional nuance to existing evidence that a positive school climate can be one strategy to prevent violence and improve safety while promoting positive youth development in schools.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Policy Surveillance Shows Improvements and Remaining Gaps in U.S. Campus Alcohol and Sexual Violence Policies

  Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs · 2025-08-06

  article

  OBJECTIVE: Alcohol use and sexual violence commonly co-occur, and alcohol availability and consumption on college campuses contribute to high sexual violence prevalence. Higher education policies can influence student behavior, but their impact is not consistently documented over time. The goal of this study was to characterize higher education alcohol and sexual violence policies. METHOD: This study used policy surveillance and logistic regression to longitudinally study alcohol/sexual violence policies among 54 university and college campuses as of March 15, 2024. Selected campuses participated in survey waves of the Healthy Minds Study from the 2018-2019 academic year (AY) to the 2023-2024 AY. Policy text was collected, coded, and analyzed in four areas related to sexual violence (scope, consent, alcohol, and prevention education) and four alcohol use and distribution areas (how restrictions, when restrictions, where restrictions, and evidence-based interventions). RESULTS: Sexual violence policies addressing alcohol use increased from 76% of campuses in AY2018-2019 to 94% in AY2023-2024. More alcohol policies prohibited sharing and giving alcohol to cause harm--11% in AY2018-2019 and 24% in AY2023-2024. Campuses were over two times more likely to articulate this restriction in later academic years. However, these differences were neither separately nor jointly significant. Campuses were around 1.5 times more likely to restrict sharing alcohol with individuals under the legal drinking age in all academic years relative to AY2018-2019, with significant shifts in AYs 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 only. CONCLUSIONS: Both alcohol and sexual violence policies in higher education are evolving, but there are important improvements in policy text needed to further address both harmful alcohol use and sexual violence.

  PublisherDOI

• Firearm injury and young children: a critical review

  BMC Pediatrics · 2025-09-24 · 2 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Firearms are the leading cause of death in children in the United States. Rates of firearm injury and death are rising among young children, ages 0-5 years, yet data-driven prevention strategies are lacking. The goal of this critical review was to provide a developmentally-informed overview of the patterns and prevalence, contexts, and impacts for all-cause firearm injury among children ages 0-5 years. We review findings from interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed studies to inform considerations for prevention strategies. We present disparities in injury and death rates in this age group, with males and non-Hispanic Black children most impacted. We review data regarding the contexts of firearm injury and death among young children; although most injuries in this age group occur at home, young children also experience firearm injury through community violence. The physical, psychological, and social impacts of injury on individual children, their families, and their communities are also reviewed. Integrating these findings, we present strategies for firearm injury prevention in this age group, informed by the bioecological systems model of development and the Haddon Matrix for injury prevention, considering factors in the child's proximal physical and social environment and broader social context. Most research does not specifically focus on young children, resulting in limited data on firearm injuries within this age group. Consequently, we recommend that future qualitative and mixed-methods studies prioritize this developmental period, actively engaging parents and community members connected to young children. This approach will contribute to a better understanding of the nature of firearm injuries and death among young children and inform effective prevention. We also call for research-community partnerships to evaluate the impact of policy and community-based prevention initiatives on injury rates in young children. We hope that this critical review serves as an initial roadmap for researchers, public health professionals, clinicians, and anyone working with parents and young children, providing a reference for preventing avoidable injuries and deaths in the youngest members of our population.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Factors Influencing Adolescents' Use of Anonymous Reporting Systems to Seek Help for Peers in Severe Mental Distress

  Journal of Adolescent Health · 2025-10-31 · 2 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Long-term effects of urban renewal on health and health inequalities: the Neighbourhoods Law in Barcelona, Spain

  Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · 2025-01-20 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: Few studies exist examining the long-term effects of urban renewal programmes on health. The purpose of this study is to examine the long-term effects of an urban renewal programme on the health and health inequality outcomes of residents living in the neighbourhoods intervened in Barcelona city by the Neighbourhoods Law (NL), while comparing them to a comparison group of non-intervention neighbourhoods with similar socioeconomic status. METHODS: The Barcelona Health Survey was used for studying changes in self-rated health, mental health, hypertension and meeting walking requirements set by the WHO in pre (2006) and post (2016) years of neighbourhoods intervened by the NL and a group of comparison neighbourhoods with similar socioeconomic characteristics. We used logistic regression models to examine pre-post differences in health outcomes within intervention or comparison neighbourhoods. A difference-in-difference regression was used to assess the overtime impact of the NL intervention on the health outcomes compared with the comparison groups. All models were adjusted by the highest education level attained and age. RESULTS: In the intervention neighbourhoods, self-rated health improved for manual workers, hypertension dropped in men and more women met the walking requirements compared with similar groups in the comparison neighbourhoods. Across all groups, mental health worsened. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is among the first to examine the long-term effects of urban renewal programmes. Although there exist complexities in studying these long-term effects, they are critical to ensure urban renewal programmes continue to improve health and reduce inequality among residents.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• What's in a Shame? Rethinking School Safety in the Face of Disruptive Threats

  Journal of School Health · 2025-04-29 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Following school shootings, threats of violence often surge, straining law enforcement and disrupting school operations. Some agencies respond with "shaming" tactics, such as publicizing arrests, but research shows these methods can worsen outcomes by increasing fear and alienation among students. CONTRIBUTIONS TO PRACTICE: This commentary advocates for moving away from punitive measures like shaming and instead recommends restorative practices focused on relationship-building and accountability. These strategies foster a positive school climate, improve trust, and engage students in creating safer environments. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: We emphasize the limitations of shaming and the need for developmentally appropriate juvenile justice responses. A comprehensive approach to school safety should include social-emotional learning, early threat detection, and environmental design. Policies should prioritize positive youth development to ensure equitable practices, particularly for marginalized students affected by punitive measures. CONCLUSIONS: A holistic, evidence-based approach that incorporates restorative practices and proactive safety strategies is more effective in fostering a supportive, safe school environment. Moving away from shaming and punishment will enhance student well-being, reduce fear, and promote a more inclusive school climate for all students.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Firearm incidents and cardiovascular disease mortality: A census-tract level study

  Social Science & Medicine · 2025-07-03

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• A school-based material needs intervention for chronic absenteeism: a state-wide staggered interrupted time series analysis

  Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · 2025-11-19 · 2 citations

  article

  BACKGROUND: Chronically absent students miss learning opportunities at school, and as a result, may suffer academically and socially. Student absenteeism is rising across the USA, with 14%-30% of K-12 students being chronically absent (missing ≥10% of school days) each year. In 2012, Michigan started Pathways to Potential (P2P)-placing caseworkers in public schools to address the material needs of students that interfere with attendance. In this study, we evaluated the effect of P2P on chronic absenteeism in public schools across Michigan. METHODS: Our quasi-experimental study included 160 Michigan K-12 public schools that began implementing P2P between 2012 and 2016. We evaluated the effect of P2P on chronic absenteeism using administrative data for academic years 2008-2009 through 2018-2019. We used a staggered interrupted time series (ITS) analysis, first modelling a simple ITS for each school, and then pooling effect estimates using random effects meta-analysis. We estimated meta-regressions to investigate heterogeneous treatment effects. RESULTS: Results suggest P2P reduced chronic absenteeism rates by 7.88% (incidence rate ratio=0.92 (95% CI 0.88 to 0.96)), preventing 21 students from being chronically absent per school per year (95% CI 17.52 to 24.95). There was significant heterogeneity, with greater effects for schools that received a higher P2P dose, were in the eastern region of the state, had wealthier student bodies, and were less racially diverse. CONCLUSION: This school-based intervention represents a feasible and effective programme for preventing chronic absenteeism. Further standardising the programme, while ensuring P2P can address diverse needs, may produce more consistent results across schools.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Resiliency and Promotive Factors in Polyvictimized Youth

  NIH · $155k · 2016–2019

Frequent coauthors

• Marc A. Zimmerman

  Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

  130 shared

• Rebecca M. Cunningham

  University of Minnesota System

  63 shared

• Hsing‐Fang Hsieh

  37 shared

• Patrick M. Carter

  Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

  37 shared

• Sarah A. Stoddard

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  31 shared

• Elyse J. Thulin

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  24 shared

• Maureen A. Walton

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  22 shared

• Jason E. Goldstick

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  19 shared

Education

• PhD, Educational Psychology

  University of Illinois at Chicago

  2011

• M.A., Higher Education Administration

  University of Michigan

  2004

• B.A., Psychology

  University of Michigan

  2003

Awards & honors

• Education Predoctoral Fellowship, Managerial Economics and D…